Chargers LB Jatavis Brown primed for comeback season

Chargers linebacker Jatavis Brown failed to produce at a high level during the 2017 season after his remarkable first year and is looking to rebound heading into 2018. After all of the offseason acquisitions, including the team bolstering the LB position in the 2018 NFL draft, Brown knows what is at stake.

Brown was the fifth-round selection for the Bolts in 2016. The Akron product dealt with a high-ankle sprain most of last year, which slowed him down. The injury, along with a change from a 3-4 defense to current defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s 4-3 scheme, led to his decline.

Brown led the team with 79 tackles in his rookie season. He also amassed six passes defensed, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

L.A. is hopeful that Brown’s play will improve now that he’s healthy. Brown said he changed his diet during the offseason, eating less red meat and more chicken, and the result is a more chiseled physique on his 5-11, 230-pound frame, according to ESPN’s Eric D. Williams.

Increased competition also should motivate Brown. The Chargers selected LB Uchenna Nwosu in the second-round and Kyzir White in the fourth-round, who will be converted into a linebacker after playing safety at West Virginia.

“Nobody’s job is safe. You always come in and try and compete at a high level. Those are two guys that are very talented, and could easily be starters,” Brown said.